Jan
17
2025
Three long-time club members will present our January program on Seed Starting: Methods to the Madness. Christina Covarubias, Jeff Handel, and Dan Beebe will share their personal experiences with starting perennial, annual, and vegetable seeds using different indoor and outdoor methods that allow gardeners to get a jumpstart on their gardens in the cold days of winter.
Christina will share her firsthand experiences with winter sowing. Borrowing from nature’s cold stratification process, when winter sowing, you don’t need sunny windows or grow lights, just some outdoor space. Christina will share tips on this “set it, and forget it” method of seed starting, which seeds are best to use, and when to start them
Jeff uses a more traditional indoor seed-starting method. He will cover the specifics of his setup, which seeds he has had success with over the years, and possibly some information on seeds and techniques that have not been very successful.
Dan uses methods similar to Jeff’s but on a larger scale. In preparation for the club’s plant sale and his gardens, Dan starts around 500 tomatoes, 500 peppers, 500 annual flowers, 250 herbs, and 250 other vegetables each year from seed. Dan will share information on the different growing methods, supplies, and tools he has used in the past, as well as some information on other indoor seed-starting methods he has been experimenting with.
Meeting Location: St Andrew Lutheran Church (NE Corner of Prince Crossing & Geneva Road.)
Meeting Time:
- 6:45PM Arrive & Mingle
- 7:00PM Business Meeting
- 7:15PM Program
Jan
17
2025

One of the most enchanting aspects of winter is the way it transforms the world into a serene and quiet landscape. Freshly fallen snow blankets the ground, absorbing sound waves and creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Come and enjoy the serenity. The Kruse House Garden (527 Main Street, West Chicago) is open every day from dawn to dusk.


Nov
14
2024
I went over to the Kruse Garden on Sunday, November 3rd to check out the fall colors and I was not disappointed. The berries and the foliage on the Viburnum was beautiful!! Then I noticed the brilliant yellow on the Ginkgo tree with the many leaves gathered at its base. The recently planted Coralberry shrubs were delightful with their little purple berries and pinkish leaves. The Amsonia with its bright yellow foliage lit up the garden. I was surprised the Begonias were still going strong their bright red flowers were a constant all season. Lastly, I loved the Oak Leaf Hydrangea with its leaves of multiple shades of red and burgundy and the dried flowers that reminded me of pinecones. It was a great fall stroll through the Kruse Garden.
November seems to be the perfect time to put the garden to bed and take stock, and plan for next year. I do that at home, and that’s what we did on our last gardening Wednesday. We walked the gardens and discussed, what worked, what needs to be divided, moved, removed, or added. It was fun to have varied ideas and thoughts and opinions. Gardens are a work in progress, looking forward to gardening next year to see the gardens evolve. If you have some free Wednesdays next year, you are always welcome to join the group. You don’t need to commit to every Wednesday. We always welcome an extra pair of hands, bring your gloves and dig in.
